In a Rolling Stone reader’s poll of Bob Dylan’s worst songs, today’s SOTD placed fourth. Coming in third, inexplicably, was ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,’ the great rollicking kick-off track of Blonde On Blonde. So obviously this is a subjective exercise.
I don’t know every Bob Dylan song, and the ones I don’t know come from what is considered his worst period, so it’s possible he has recorded songs I’d find less pointless than this one. But it would be a tough contest.
‘Man Gave Names to All the Animals’ appears on Slow Train Coming, the first release of Dylan’s born-again Christian phase. The album is actually pretty strong, once you get past all the Jesus stuff, but this track does it no favors.
The simplicity of the lyrics have led this song to be featured as both a children’s book and a Wiggles cover, which is nice, I guess. But as a Bob Dylan song, this is uncomfortably bad.
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago
He saw an animal that liked to growl
Big furry paws and he liked to howl
Great big furry back and furry hair
“Ah, think I’ll call it a bear”
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago
He saw an animal up on a hill
Chewing up so much grass until she was filled
He saw milk comin’ out but he didn’t know how
“Ah, think I’ll call it a cow”
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago
He saw an animal that liked to snort
Horns on his head and they weren’t too short
It looked like there wasn’t nothin’ that he couldn’t pull
“Ah, think I’ll call it a bull”
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago
He saw an animal leavin’ a muddy trail
Real dirty face and a curly tail
He wasn’t too small and he wasn’t too big
“Ah, think I’ll call it a pig”
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago
Next animal that he did meet
Had wool on his back and hooves on his feet
Eating grass on a mountainside so steep
“Ah, think I’ll call it a sheep”
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago
He saw an animal as smooth as glass
Slithering his way through the grass
Saw him disappear by a tree near a lake . . .
Meet Me In Montauk 
Somehow, I don’t find this song so musically bad, and if he were actually writing it as a children’s song, he could actually get away with it. When you think about it, one of Dylan’s worst songs is probably one of the Wiggles best.😄
Meanwhile as a huge Dylan fan and completist, I’m really shocked you haven’t heard every Dylan song, even the bad ones. Clearly, you are missing crayons from your Crayola box.😄
I think you’ve inspired a new concept album: “The Wiggles Sing the Worst of Dylan.”
I’m specifically in the dark on Dylan’s albums Saved and Knocked Out Loaded, two records better left unheard if what I’ve read is true. But I should probably at least Spotify them to round out my knowledge.
Either that song goes, or I do. 🙂
When I went looking for the cover by The Wiggles, I found this one instead:
I don’t think Mraz is being ironic in his choice to cover the song, either. I find I’m kind of digging it! It’s whimsical and doesn’t take itself too serioulsy, which is easier to hear when Mraz is singing it. I’m sure I can find a Dylan song I like less than this one 😉
(“I’m gonna call that one a sheep” might be my new favorite lyric!)